WASHINGTON – By settling their contest for the GOP presidential nomination so quickly, many Republicans say John McCain, the presumptive nominee, and the party have seized an important advantage in the 2008 race for the White House.

Democrats worry that the close, historic battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton – while relatively civil so far – could turn personal or nasty if their contest goes on for weeks or months. Party Chairman Howard Dean has warned that the party’s prospects in November would be hurt if the nomination is unresolved before the convention in August.

“Howard Dean is right to be worried,” said Duf Sundheim, former state GOP chairman in California. “It’s always a big advantage to have unity. McCain can define himself in a positive light. For the Democrats, the longer it goes the worse it gets.”

But the advantages don’t all flow one way. While the GOP now has the luxury of concentrating on the Democrats rather than each other, a protracted contest on the Democratic side would mean more headlines, more air time on radio and TV, and an opportunity to keep Democratic voters energized as the nation marches toward the general election in November.

All of the extra media attention could give both Democratic candidates high-profile opportunities to hammer weaknesses they see in the GOP platform and bash the party for its record in office over the past eight years.

Republicans still face an uphill climb this year, said Stephen Wayne, a political scientist and author of several books on the presidency. “Because of the Iraq war, the economy and the Bush administration, the Democrats have a favorable election-year environment,” he said.

Democrats say the compelling candidacies of Obama and Clinton have energized their party, and they have some numbers from Super Tuesday to back up their case. In the 19 states where both parties held primaries, Obama and Clinton collected a total of 14.4 million votes while the three leading Republicans took 8.3 million votes.

“Our contest is close but not bitter, and it’s exciting for Democrats,” said Rep. Anna Eshoo of Palo Alto, who backs Obama. In the intense campaigning before Tuesday’s primary, “there was a lot of give and take, but Obama people respect Clinton, and Clinton people like Obama,” she added.

Some Democrats say they will keep their advantage this year if their race is concluded with harmony, not acrimony. Some of the Clinton campaign’s attacks on Obama in South Carolina backfired, and have not been repeated. Obama and Clinton have spent millions of dollars on TV ads, and none have been negative.

“As long as they are debating, not fighting, we’ll be fine,” said Simon Rosenberg, president of the New Democrat Network, a think tank. “It’s too early to know if the Republicans will get an advantage from the early resolution of their race.”

The intense media focus on the Democratic race could help or hurt, Democrats say. Rosenberg said Obama and Clinton will “dominate the news cycles for weeks,” but Rep. Jim Moran, a Virginia Democrat, worries that the media narrative will be: Republicans rally together while Democrats chew each other up.

“That kind of focus could hurt, while Republicans are uniting behind McCain,” Moran said at a gathering of Democrats Friday in Fairfax County. Virginia Democrats hold their primary Tuesday, and Obama and Clinton backers agreed at the meeting that a protracted race could hurt the eventual nominee’s chances in the fall.

The record of the party is mixed in binding up its wounds. President Jimmy Carter was hurt by Ted Kennedy’s primary challenge in 1980, and lost to Ronald Reagan. Bill Clinton overcame a series of contentious primaries in 1992 with Jerry Brown.

Democrats have a reason for concern, said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University historian. With Mitt Romney out of the race and Mike Huckabee not a real threat, McCain has the time to hone his themes, criticize the Democrats, raise money for the general election, bone up on the economy and begin the process of choosing a running mate.

“His differences with some conservatives are important, but now he has time to repair them,” Zelizer said. “Choosing someone more conservative would be one thing.”

Republicans have lots of ideas on how McCain should use the next few months to his benefit. Brad Blakeman, a GOP strategist who worked in President Bush’s White House, said McCain “can get back to work on Capitol Hill, mend fences, save money, emphasize national security and show his compassion on the economy.”

Many conservatives remain at odds with McCain, and activists greeted him with a mixture of cheers and jeers at a conference Thursday. Blakeman said McCain could select a running mate early to assuage conservatives.

Sundheim said the results from the GOP primary in California show that McCain can appeal to moderates and conservatives. But securing the nomination early, as Democrat Al Gore did in 2000, can take away the media focus, so McCain “must find ways to keep his message out there,” Sundheim said.

Some Democrats say any animosity caused by the Clinton-Obama contest is small compared to the breach between McCain and conservative activists.

“I was taken aback by the intensity of displeasure some of my Republican colleagues in the House have for McCain,” Eshoo said. “They’ve talked with me about it. It’s deep.”

Rosenberg, who is neutral in the race, said that Obama or Clinton will likely emerge as the front-runner by mid-March, and that would blunt any head start McCain has on the general election campaign.

In any case, Wayne, a Georgetown University historian, predicted that Democratic leaders and office-holders – the so-called super-delegates – will want to resolve the contest soon, and will gravitate to the front-runner.

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